


An Early Lesson

by ilyena_sylph



Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: Yuletide 2008
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-01
Updated: 2009-01-01
Packaged: 2017-10-18 00:51:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/183180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilyena_sylph/pseuds/ilyena_sylph
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of Menolly's first lessons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Early Lesson

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Caitrin Torres (ctorres)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ctorres/gifts).



> A million thanks to my partner and best friend for saving my sanity while I worked on this. Thanks, Merfilly. Couldn't have done it without you.

"Don't be making such noise, Menolly! The Harper needs his peace."

Holder Mavi's scold finally let Petiron pinpoint the source of just what had been under his consciousness all along. The little red-haired girl he'd seen in the halls before -- apparently her name was Menolly -- squeaked an apology and hurried on past the doorway, while Petiron looked after her. He wouldn't mention to the Lady Holder that her sharp tones had been far more distracting than whatever the little girl had been doing that had brought the scolding.

The little girl had seemed a precocious little thing, the few times he had noticed her since he'd been here, but this time... She had been whistling a tune as she walked along with her mother. A tune not without flair and proper dynamics, he realized in the silence afterwards. He looked after them, any possible irritation fleeing his mind as he thought of his son. He had missed genius once in his own child. He could not do it again. He would not let another gifted child go, not when there was so much he could teach. However, he would have to walk very carefully in this backwoods hold, where duty was carried out more from tradition than true belief. Especially when they also had some strange beliefs in this little, so isolated hold. He half-wished he was a better archivist, to see if he could learn what had changed the ways of this place so much, but he was not, and they would likely not appreciate his prying.

He had like the idea of the isolation at first, and with a student like she might turn out to be, if he was careful and could manage the Holders' superstitions... he might yet have little to complain about.

***

She had heard her father say that there would be a night of singing when the ships came back in, so when she'd seen the tall masts sailing back in, she'd run straight to her mother. If there was going to be singing, she so wanted to be there! She had to wait until her mother wasn't busy for a moment to ask her question, practically bouncing on her toes in impatience as she did.

"Mother, mother, can I stay up and listen to the singing?" Menolly pleaded, looking up at Mavi hopefully. She wanted to hear the Harper sing... he had such a wonderful voice, and sometimes he did songs she hadn't heard before. "Please?"

Mavi looked down at her daughter, trying to understand why her youngest daughter was so, but the honest plea in her eyes made her nod, and reach down to stroke her hair for a moment. "You stay close to me, so I can take you up to bed when you fall asleep, but yes, you can stay up."

Menolly cheered happily and wrapped her arms around her mother's leg, then ran off again.

***

Petiron was surprised to see that Mavi had let the little girl stay up to listen, but as he directed the singers of the hold, he noted her interest-- and skill -- intently. She had a good clear treble voice, and she seemed to have an instinctive gift for picking up the right line of the melody. What a singer she could make, if her voice held -- and if they lived in a hold where it would be accepted that she could, he admitted. Perhaps with some time, he could change those opinions at least a little. Though the dislike of female singers having more active roles was a trend that seemed to span Pern, he admitted, remembering some of the things Merelan had told him. Even in the Hall itself, with all of what his son was doing, there were several of the masters his age and older that were turning against the few female singers they had left.

He shook those thoughts away with a small shake of his head and went back to singing. None of the music he'd brought with him were the kind of pieces he had written all his life -- there was no point, in such a small hold. What he had brought were the choral pieces, the ones people that had not been trained could sing... things perfect for teaching to children, now that he thought about it.

"My next song is a new one, but I think you will all enjoy it," he said. "Once I've sung it, feel free to join in with me on the chorus," he invited them all, and started to sing again. He directed his singing towards the holder and his lady... and, by extension, towards Menolly, who was sitting in her mother's lap. It wasn't long before he could catch the little girl's clear, high voice joining in the chorus with a couple of the others, and he smiled as he sang.

It would not be long before he could have some of the children taught enough of the songs to help him on an evening -- and he was certain he would have her voice in the chorus; if he could find any more of them that had good voices, at least. They didn't seem to mind the children singing.

***

Menolly stayed in the little room where the Harper gave the lessons as her sisters and the other children of the Hold raced out the doors in a rush, and looked up at the Harper wistfully. "Would you tell me the next verse, Harper, please?"

The Harper nodded, but checked to be sure none were lingering. "I should refresh my memory," he said before singing, as if to himself. He did turn the music so that the score was visible to her as he sang. The little girl was only five or six Turns old, and already she read music better than any of her sisters. He finished that verse, and looked down at her, a thought striking him. "Little Menolly, do you know where any good, strong patches of marsh cane grow near the hold?"

She had been mouthing the words along to herself, her hand tapping out the rhythm against her thigh as she tried to memorize the new words. The question took her off guard for a moment -- why would the Harper want such a thing? But he did, and she nodded, her eyes bright with the chance to be useful to the man she respected so much. "I know some!" she nodded quickly, then her head dropped sadly. "I'm not supposed to go outside the Hold without someone, though..."she hated to admit it to the Harper, when she'd just told him she knew

"Well, don't I count as someone?" Petiron asked, smiling at her as she turned colors from the question.

Menolly stammered, trying to find the right words to explain that she just hadn't thought. "I--of course you do, I just... I wasn't... I'm sorry, Harper!"

"Hush, it's all right," he told her gently. "I was only teasing you. Let us go and find your mother and ask permission for you to guide me to the canes I want, and then we will go." He offered her a hand, and headed off to find Mavi and charm her into letting the little girl be his guide.

  
That didn't take long, as it was a fine, clear spring day. Menolly had promised to take the Harper straight out to the canes and make sure they came back straightway, but she'd practically danced beside him as they headed out of the Hold. The two of them went out along the edge of the marshes until Menolly pointed at the patch of canes she thought would do for the Harper. Though what he wanted with the canes, she didn't know. He reached out and cut off a section of pipe, then several more, then walked until he found a large rock to take a seat on.

"I don't know how, but when I was packing, I forgot my pipes," he told her, shaking his head in amusement at himself. "Normally, of course, I use the gitar, but there are some times that pipes are the instrument you want."

Pipes? Like the wooden sailors' pipes? Menolly wondered, then turned her attention back towards the Harper and what he was doing. She could ask questions later, if he didn't mind.

He started to trim the piece of pipe, talking along as he did about how long the barrel should be, where the holes should be placed with quick twists of the tip of a sharp knife -- six along the top, two along the bottom -- and why. Menolly watched, fascinated, as he turned such a simple piece of green reed pipe into something that could make music? Really?

She leaned over closer, watching him as his fingers moved.

"Of course, how big your hands are makes something of a difference," he admitted as he finished. "A smaller person would need a smaller pipe. More like this size," he said, and cut off the length of a child's pipe from one of the thinner reeds, and quickly cut the set of holes into it, as well. "There."

He handed her the small pipe, and lifted his own to his lips, blowing a single note. "Can you do that?" he asked her, bringing the pipe away a little.

Her face scrunched up in concentration, but she reached for the little pipe and brought it to her lips, trying to shape her mouth the way he had shaped his. Her fingers settled over the holes, and she blew.

Petiron winced at the noise, and shook his head, moving over to change how she was holding the pipe a little. "No... like this, Menolly. With your mouth more like this," he showed her, lips pursing against his pipe.

She tried again -- and the note blew clear and sweet.

"Yes. Like that, little one," he told her happily, and tucked the other pieces of pipe into his belt as he began to teach her the basics of playing on a reed pipe.  



End file.
